Australia’s Busiest Sires of 2025 – It’s Official

Tara Madgwick - Monday March 2

The Australian Studbook have today officially released covering statistics for the 2025 breeding season detailing all coverings as at March 1, so we’re taking a look at what stallions found favour with the only audience that really counts – broodmare owners!

Top honours were shared by two stallions that each covered 227 mares and have very different profiles.

Storm Boy did a good job of selling himself at the stallion parades.

Coolmore’s bargain priced first season sire Storm Boy hit the target for mare owners at a fee of $16,500, which might surprise a few people, but probably not if you went to the stallion parades and saw him in the flesh.

He might be by Justify (USA), a tall imposing Kentucky Derby winner, but he is all powerhouse sprinter in terms of physique and having won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, he ticks the box for precocious speed.

Alabama Express was the most popular sire on the power packed Yulong roster.

Yulong is home to the other stallion to cover 227 mares and that’s Redoute’s Choice son Alabama Express, who covered 200 plus mares for the third year in a row at a fee of $66,000.

Alabama Express put his name in lights with Champion 3YO Filly Treasurethe Moment and a flurry of other stakes-winners and they have boosted his popularity in spectacular fashion.

In 2022, he covered just 78 mares at a fee of $22,000, so in theory these foals now two year-olds would be from his weakest book of mares, but the results already include stakes-winning colt Alibaba.

Alabama Express is one stallion that is locked and loaded in terms of what he has in the pipeline to hopefully ensure ongoing success.

Home Affairs has been widely supported by the best breeders in Australia.

Insatiable demand continued for Coolmore young gun Home Affairs, who covered 205 mares and has faced judgement day since this time last year.

He sits at the top of the Australian First Season Sires List by earnings with a stakes quinella last Saturday for fillies Gin Twist and La Gitana following a G1 Blue Diamond placing from his quality colt Guest House.

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At this point in time the faith breeders have put in this champion son of I Am Invincible would appear well placed.

Switzerland is the third son of Snitzel to join the Coolmore roster.

Two more first season sires rounded out the top five with Coolmore’s Group I winning Snitzel colt Switzerland covering 194 mares at a fee of $60,500, while Yulong’s Zoustar son Growing Empire, who narrowly missed being a G1 winner, covered 182 mares at $22,000.

Growing Empire was a crowd pleaser at Yulong.

In terms of raw ability there was probably not a great deal between these two colts, both of them by champion sires, but there is a considerable difference in service fee.

It’s going to be an interesting watch to see how their stud careers unfold.

Below is the list of all stallions to cover 150 or more mares in Australia in 2025.

Sire

Mares Covered

2025 Fee

Stud

State

Storm Boy 2021

227

 $16,500

Coolmore

NSW

Alabama Express 2016

227

 $66,000

Yulong Stud

Vic

Home Affairs 2018

205

 $82,500

Coolmore

NSW

Switzerland 2021

194

 $60,500

Coolmore

NSW

Growing Empire 2021

182

 $22,000

Yulong Stud

Vic

Stay Inside 2018

181

 $66,000

Newgate Stud

NSW

The Autumn Sun 2015

178

 $66,000

Arrowfield Stud

NSW

Zoustar 2010

171

 $275,000

Widden Stud

NSW

Hawaii Five Oh 2019

167

 $16,500

Vinery Stud

NSW

Hellbent 2012

167

 $38,500

Yarraman Park

NSW

Harry Angel (IRE) 2014

165

 $66,000

Godolphin

NSW

Ole Kirk 2017

161

 $99,000

Vinery Stud

NSW

Broadsiding 2021

160

 $66,000

Godolphin

NSW

City Of Troy (USA) 2021

158

 $49,500

Coolmore

NSW

Castelvecchio 2016

155

 $49,500

Arrowfield Stud

NSW

All Too Hard 2009

154

 $27,500

Vinery Stud

NSW

I Am Invincible 2004

154

 $220,000

Yarraman Park

NSW

Better Than Ready 2009

151

 $27,500

Lyndhurst Stud Farm

Qld

Vandeek (GB ) 2021

151

 $22,000

Arrowfield Stud

NSW

King's Gambit 2020

151

 $22,000

Newgate Stud

NSW

Wootton Bassett (GB) - gone too soon.

We also sorted these by service fee to see the numbers covered by our most expensive sires with the list topped by Wootton Bassett (GB), whose season was cut tragically short when he died on September 23.

Toronado (IRE) also had a limited season due to injury at the start of spring.

Sire

Mares Covered

Fee

Stud

State

Wootton Bassett (GB) 2008

39

$385,000

Coolmore

NSW

Extreme Choice 2013

111

 $330,000

Newgate Stud

NSW

Zoustar 2010

171

 $275,000

Widden Stud

NSW

Too Darn Hot (GB) 2016

110

 $275,000

Godolphin

NSW

I Am Invincible 2004

154

 $220,000

Yarraman Park

NSW

Anamoe 2018

147

 $110,000

Godolphin

NSW

Ole Kirk 2017

161

 $99,000

Vinery Stud

NSW

Dundeel (NZ) 2009

103

 $88,000

Arrowfield Stud

NSW

Toronado (IRE) 2010

84

 $88,000

Swettenham Stud

Vic

Home Affairs 2018

205

 $82,500

Coolmore

NSW

Farnan 2017

143

 $77,000

Kia Ora Stud

NSW

Alabama Express 2016

227

 $66,000

Yulong Stud

Vic

Stay Inside 2018

181

 $66,000

Newgate Stud

NSW

The Autumn Sun 2015

178

 $66,000

Arrowfield Stud

NSW

Harry Angel (IRE) 2014

165

 $66,000

Godolphin

NSW

Broadsiding 2021

160

 $66,000

Godolphin

NSW

Street Boss (USA) 2004

70

 $66,000

Godolphin

Vic

As a comparison the below list is for stallions that also covered 150 mares plus in 2024

As always there is change as the bloodstock market can be fickle and what is popular one year may be not so much the next.

Stallion

Mares Covered

2024 Fee

Stud

State

Home Affairs (AUS) 2018

225

82,500

Coolmore Australia

NSW

Alabama Express (AUS) 2016

223

55,000

Yulong Investments

Vic

Shinzo (AUS) 2020

218

55,000

Coolmore Australia

NSW

Tassort (AUS) 2016

218

38,500

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

NSW

Zousain (AUS) 2015

218

27,500

Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd

NSW

Pierata (AUS) 2014

199

66,000

Yulong Investments

Vic

Ozzmosis (AUS) 2020

192

44,000

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

NSW

Zoustar (AUS) 2010

188

275,000

Widden Stud Australia Pty Ltd

NSW

Farnan (AUS) 2017

181

55,000

Kia Ora Stallions Operations

NSW

Exceedance (AUS) 2016

181

33,000

Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd

NSW

Stay Inside (AUS) 2018

178

55,000

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

NSW

King's Gambit (AUS) 2020

175

22,000

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

NSW

Hawaii Five Oh (AUS) 2019

173

16,500

Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd

NSW

Ole Kirk (AUS) 2017

172

55,000

Vinery Stud (Australia) Pty Ltd

NSW

Toronado (IRE) 2010

170

88,000

Swettenham Stud

Vic

Acrobat (AUS) 2018

164

13,750

Coolmore Australia

NSW

Pride Of Dubai (AUS) 2012

162

22,000

Coolmore Australia

NSW

In The Congo (AUS) 2018

161

27,500

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

NSW

I Am Invincible (AUS) 2004

158

275,000

Yarraman Park Stud Pty Ltd

NSW

Capitalist (AUS) 2013

155

66,000

Newgate Operations Pty Ltd

NSW

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